Chess Tactics (Crowood Chess Library) [Paperback]

Paul Littlewood (Author)

Book Description

Series: Crowood Chess Library | Publication Date: February 1989

Every chess player has an intriguing array of tactics to choose from, and this comprehensive manual describes, analyzes, and teaches the best of them so beginners can understand the possibilities. Through progressively more difficult exercises and problems, novices will see how to deploy a variety of tactics for attack and how to defend against each type successfully. The result: a significantly better game.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul Littlewood was British champion in 1981 and is an International Master. He has represented his country on many occasions and is well-known for his tactical play. He lives in St Albans, Hertfordshire. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Crowood Pr (February 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0946284954
• ISBN-13: 978-0946284955
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,013,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

103 of 105 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book has it all!, September 12, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Chess Tactics (Batsford Chess Book) (Paperback)

CHESS TACTICS has it all when it comes to pins, forks, skewers, dicovered checks and all the various types of typical tactics you are likely to encounter when you play. I personally own a fair number of books on tactics and traps and have found them to be the most useful types of books in getting me actual results when I play. This book has excellent examples and tells you the principles behind each type of tactic it covers. Very good book!

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, April 29, 2005

By 

Seattle Reader - See all my reviews

This review is from: Chess Tactics (Batsford Chess Book) (Paperback)

Excellent! Fourteen tactical themes explained as clearly as I have ever seen! Just the right balance between clear explanatory prose and diagrams/problems.

Each of the 14 chapters is divided into 4 clearly-labeled sections: Definition and examples; How to Exploit the tactic; How to Defend against that tactic; Problems to solve. The author is British, so no problems due to translated-from-German or translated-from Russian.

307 diagrams spread over 143 pages: just the right size.

If you're already a master, you don't need this. If you've read any beginning book like Chess for Dummies you should be ready for this.

Pop quiz: What's the difference between Deflection and Decoying? If you don't know, buy the book see chapters 7 and 8. This book is quite clear on this, as it is clear throughout.

This book first came out in 1984, so the (5-star) review dated 1997 must have been about the 1984 edition. The new (current) edition just came out in March 2005, and is beautifully done. Clear diagrams, nice typeface and paper. And it has been updated to figurine algebraic notation (the most modern and readable chess notation).

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides an excellent overview for intermediate students, July 15, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Chess Tactics (Crowood Chess Library) (Paperback)

This fine chess book approaches tactics in the best way I have ever seen. Each tactical idea is introduced and built on using progressive examples both from the attacker's and defender's point of view. I highly recommend it for any player over USCF 1000 rating